Relief valve



April 13, 1943. JURS RELIEF VALVE Filed April 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN April 13, 1943, E, JURS 2,316,649

RELIEF VALVE Filed April 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m n: v Q a l E? a v [1 R H k we \LQ R {E I:

3 \Q v w g d v H R INVENTOR fl/berf 5. Jun;

ATTORNEYS Patent ed Apr. is. 1943 a UNIT-ED- STATES PATENT *orng fi aELmnvALva has n. rm; Piedmont, cam. 'Applicatioii mum in, Serial No. 329,927 1 Claims. (01. lav-say 4 t This invention relates generally to devices for controlling theflow of gases in accordance with gas pressures, such,as commonly used in systems for automatically relieving gas or vapor pressures in storage tanks of the type employed for hydrocarbon products. In storage tanks for'such volatile liquids abnormal vapor pressure within the tank must be relieved by venting ,of gas when the pressure attains a pre-determined value.

It is an object of the invention to provide an.

improved relief valve of the character referred to which eifectively eliminates or minimizes vibration or chattering of the valve pallet.

flange ll communicates through conduit 23 with the atmosphere or to some suitable vapor recovery system. 1

Clamped to the edge of the pallet or closure 13, there is-providedan annular flexible diaphragm. 24 which has it annular outer edge clamped between the main body l6 and a cover 26 suitably fastened thereon. The space 21 above the pallet li and the diaphragm 24 forms a gas chamber which is at all times in communication with the pilot valve mechanism through a conduit 28 for control of the opening and closing of the pallet I3 in a manner later described.

Another object of the invention. is to provide I I Another object of the invention is to provide a 7 gas flow relief valve in which the opening and closing phases of a venting operation are per-i formed rapidly. i e

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, in crosssection, illustrating a relief valve incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the pilot valve mechanism taken as indicated by the line 2--2 in Figure 1. 4

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the pilot valve mechanism, the view being taken-in the same plane as Figure 1.

The apparatus as illustrated in .cludes amain valve mechanism In, and a pilot valve mechanism ll, both of which are shown as installed in the top wall 12 of a storage tank.

The main valve mechanism III includes a main valve closure pallet indicated generally at I! and which is described more specifically hereinafter. The pallet is positioned within the hollow body it and engages a seat ring I1 which is carried by an annularraised flange l8 inthe body It. The inlet opening I! of the body is connected by conduit to the upper tank wall l2. The

7 annular space 22 which is provided around the Figure 1 in- The pressure chamber 21 is also in communication with the inlet opening l9- of the relief valve through a supplementary pressure chamber as will now be described. As seen in Figure 1, the body portion 3| of the pallet I3 is slightly dished and is provided at its center with an orifice 32 through which the chamber 21 communlcates with the supplementary pressure chamber 33 formed between the wall 3| of the pallet and the lower dished wall 34 secured to the wall 3| and having a central orifice 26 provided therein communicating with the inlet opening IQ of the relief valve. Both of orifices 22 and 36 may be provided with'suitable insert liners.

. The restricted opening from the inlet opening I 9 through orifice 36, chamber 33, and orifice 22 to the pressure chamber 21 provides for building up of pressurein this chamber when the pallet is in engagement with the seat I'I to hold the pallet in closed position until the chamber 21 is vented to efl'ect opening of the pallet.

Associated with the main valve mechanism ll is a pilot valve mechanism I I of special construction which also aids in controlling and eliminating the conditions of chattering and vibration.

As seen in Figure 1, the pilot valve mechanism II is supported by conduit 35 from the top wall l2 of the tank and is provided with a casing composed of separate sections or parts a, llb, llc.

" lid, and lie. These parts are assembled and clamped together in a convenient manner'to provide a housing for the various working parts.

The body part lid is provided with an inlet passage l2 communicating with the conduit or hose 28 and with a discharge passage 42 leading from within the part 4 la and downwardly through the parts lo and b to a discharge space provided under the protecting housing 44 and communieating with the atmosphere.

is carried at the upper end of an operating rod 43 which is connected at its lower end to a coupling sleeve 43 to which a diaphragm assembly II is connected by rod 32. The diaphragm II inapplication, Serial No. 259,630, filed March 3,1939.

The pilot valve assembly 41 illustrated in Figure 3 includes a plurality of circularly contoured parts 58, I1 and 33 which are clamped together by means of screws 33. The upper end a of the through a central opening 33 in the part II; The part I has a hollow extension 3| to house the upper rod portion 43a and also to house a compression spring 32. 1 The lower end of this spring is seated upon the part 31 and its upper end bears upon the nut 34 whereby the force oi the spring 32 serves to urge the valve l1 downwardly relative to the rod 43. e

Intermediate its end, the rod 43 (Figure 2) carries a spring retainer ring 'Il upon which a spring 12 is seated having its other'end seated against a suitable collar carried by housing part c. Above the spring 12 and below the inlet 42, a diaphragm I3 is provided which is clamped between clamping collars M on the rod 48 and the housing sections lie and lid. This diaphragm I3 is subjected to the pressure in the chamber 16 which is transmitted through the inlet passage 42 and conduit 23 from the chamber 21 and serves with the spring 12 to urge the valve 41 downward- 1y against its seat against the pressure exerted on the diaphragm assembly 5 I The operation will be described briefly assuming the relief valve mechanism to be conditioned as shown in Figure 1 with-the main pa1let'l3 In this condition of the parts, pressure built up within the tank has been transmitted through the restricted orifice 38, the supplemental pressure chamber 33, the orifice 32,. to the pressure chamber 21, and also through the conduit 28 and the inlet 42 into chamber I6 to be imposed upon the diaphragm 13 of the pilot valve mechanism.

When the pressure in the tank rises above the selected maximum pressure which is determined I "by the adjustment oi the compression spring 12,

the pressure transmitted to the diaphragm assembly 5| of the pilot valve becomes greater than the combined pressures exerted by the spring 12 and the pressure on the diaphragm 13, so that the pilot valve 41 starts to lift from its seat 48. When thepilot valve is lifted from its seat, a flow of gas begins from the chamber 18 through the valve 41 and passage 43, being vented to the atmosphere. The reduction in pressure in chamber 16 results in a sudden disappearance of the pressure exerted on the diaphragm 13, so that the pressure of the spring I2 alone opposed the pres sure on the diaphragm assembly 5!. As a result,

- the pilot valve 4 1, when once initially lifted from suilicient rapidity so that the critical chattering range or pressure for pallet I3 is passed through with sumclent speed that no objectionable chattering will occur.

When the pressure in the tank is reduced sufil- -clently so that the spring 12 can become effective to again seat the pilot valve 41 and thereby close the vent passage from the pressure chamber 21, a reverse operation occurs in that when the pilot valve begins to close the pressure is rapidly built up in the chamber 16 and in acting against the diaphragm 13 rapidly moves the pilot valve to rod 43 is 01' reduced diameter and extends looselyclosed and also with the pilot'valve l'l closed'.

its closed position. This correspondingly causes a rapid build up of pressure in the chamber 21 so that the critical pressure range during the closing movement of the main valve I3 is also passed through with sufllcient rapidity to prevent objectionable vibration or chattering.

During the rapid venting of pressure from the pressure chamber 21, the amount of gas escaping into such chamber through the orifices 36 and 32 is insuillcient to interfere with the rapid venting operation. At the same time; the restrictions afforded by the orifices 33 and 32, together with the pressure zone interposed intermediate these orifices by the chamber 33 also assist in damping out and minimizing any chattering which may be present...

Also during the closing operation, the supplemental pres-sure chamber 33 and its two entrant orifices 32 and 38 provide for damping out or minimizing of the pallet vibrating conditions or pulsations in the conduit 2 caused by changing pressure conditions. Hence, the supplemental pressure chamber 33 serves as a pulsation absorbingmeans or eliminator and its volume is ample for this purpose;

For certain operating conditions, particularly when a conduit 2| of unusual length is employed in mounting the valve mechanism and where relatively low vapor pressures are present in the system, certain vibrating conditions or pulsations are set up in'the column of air within the conduit 2|. Such vibrations or pulsations tend to prevent closing of the pallet upon venting of the pressure chamber 21 and to set up a vibration or chattering oi the pallet either on its seat or in open position, so that proper closing and sealing of! of gas after lowering of the pressure for the desired amount is not eflfected. With the supplementary pressure chamber 33 and with the restricted. orifices 36 and 32, with the orifice 36 larger in'size, it is then found that such vibrations are substantially eliminated and are minimized to :a great extent so as to not interfere with efllcient operation of the valve.

In a typical installation where the overall diameter of the pallet structure including the diaphragm 24 would be in the neighborhood of 21 inches, the orifice 32 may have a diameter of, say, three-eighths of an inch, and the orifice 36, a diameter of, say, five-eighths of an inch.

In many installations such vibrations are substantially eliminated by the supplemental pressure chamber. In other installations of varying conditions, the pilot valve mechanism by'virtue of its rapid opening and closing movements acts with the supplemental pressure chamber in controlling or minimizing chattering and vibration.

I claim:

1. In a gas relief valve, a body having inflow and outflow openings, 3. horizontal valve seat formed within the body, a rigid closure pallet cooperating with said valve seat, an annular flexible diaphragm connecting the periphery of vsaid diaphragm, saidchamber being adapted to be vented for causing lifting of the pallet from the seat, and means for establishing communication between said pressure chamber and said inflow opening including an auxiliary chamber formed in said pallet and having restricted communication with said first named pressure chamber and said inflow opening, said last named chamber being formed by upper and lower walls of the pallet with the lower wall being dished downwardly, said pallet in moving between closed and open positions being guided solely by said diaphragm.

2. In a gas relief valve, a body having inflow and outflow openings, a horizontally disposed annular valve seat within the body, a closure pallet disposed upon said seat and movable between open and closed positions with respect to the same, the lower side of the pallet being exposed to gas in said inflow opening, an annular flexible diaphragm connecting the periphery of the pallet to the body, and means forming a closed gas chamber over the pallet and the diaphragm, said chamber being adapted to be vented, said pallet comprising upper and lower downwardly dished walls aflording a chamber between the same, each of said walls being provided with a restricted oriflce in its lowermost portion.

3. In a relief valve, a body having inflow and outflow openings, a horizontal valve seat formed within the body, a movable closure pallet cooperating with thevalve seat, an annular flexible diaphragm connecting the periphery of said pallet to said body, said pallet being capable of movement toward and away from said seat between closed and open positions and also being capable of cooking or tilting movement relative to the seat, said body being formed to aflord a closed gas chamber extending over the pallet and said diaphragm, and damping means carried by the pallet and serving to minimize fluttering of the same on the seat, said means comprising a supplemental gas chamber carried by the pallet, flow restricting orifice means communicating'between the supplemental chamber and the first named chamber, flow restricting orifice means communicating between the supplemental chamber and the inlet opening, said orifice means being spaced apart and the supplemental chamber forming a space for building up static gas pressure in the event of the formation a difierence in static gas pressure between the inlet opening and the flrst named chamber, said space being of suflicient volume to serve as a pulsation absorbing chamber.

4. In a relief valve, a body having inflow and outflow openings, a horizontally disposed valve seat formed within the body, a movable closure pallet cooperating with the valve seat and movable in a vertical direction between open and closed positions, a flexible fluid operated diaphragm connected to operate the pallet and having its periphery sealed with respect to the body,

said body being formed to afiord a closed gas chamber above said diaphragm, means forming a supplemental gas chamber on said pallet, oriflce means establishing flow restricting communication between said flrst named gas chamber and said supplemental gas chamber, a second oriflce means spaced from the first orifice means and serving to establish flow restricting communication between the supplemental gas chamber and said inlet opening, said supplemental chamber having a substantial volume suflicient to serve as a pulsation absorbing chamber cooperable with said oriflce means to minimize fluttering of the pallet.

5. In a relief valve, a body having inflow and outflow openings, a horizontally disposed valve seat formed within the body, a movable closure pallet cooperating with the valve seatand movable in a vertical direction between open and closed positions, a flexible fluid operated .diaphragm connected to operate the pallet and having its periphery sealed with respect to the body. the body being formed to afford a closed gas chamber extending over the diaphragm, means forming a supplemental gas chamber on said pallet, oriflce means establishing flow retricting communication between the flrst named gas chamber and said supplemental gas chamber, a second oriflce means spaced from the first oriflce means and serving to establish flow restricting communication between the supplemental gas chamber and said inlet opening, the spacing between said orifice means being a distance substantially greater than the effective diameter of either one of the same, said supplemental chamber having a substantial volume suflicient to serve as a pulsation absorbing chamber cooperable with said oriflce means to minimize flutterlng of the pallet.

6. In -.a relief valve, a body having inflow and outflow openings, a horizontally disposed valve seat formed within the body, a movable closure being formed to afford a closed gas chamber extending over the pallet and the diaphragm, means forming a supplemental gas chamber on said pallet, ,oriflce means establishing flow restricting communication between the first named gas chamber and the supplemental gas chamber, a second orifice means serving to establish flow restricting communication between the supplemental gas chamber and the inlet opening, said supplemental chamber having a substantial volume suflicient to serve as a pulsation absorbing chamber cooperable with said oriflce means to minimize fluttering of the pallet.

7. A relieivalve as defined in claim 4 in which the second orifice means is larger than the orifice means establishing flow restriction between the gas chamber above the diaphragm and the supplemental gas chamber.

ALBERT E. JURS. 

